Non-Negotiables Part 2:

35+ retail rules to consider

In Part 2 of the retail rules series, I am sharing 35+ suggestions for retail store employee non-negotiables that includes retail rules shared by other retailers. I’ll also share my tips for getting your staff on board with your rules. But first, let me review the definition and exhibit the need for such lists.

Non-negotiables are rules or processes that are not open for discussion.

In my research for this article, I noted several references such as “encouraging employees to engage with shoppers and offer help”. As retailers, I can’t imagine you have a goal of encouraging your employees to engage with shoppers. I hope you encourage numerous productive behaviors in your employees who deal with customers, but when it comes to engaging with customers and being helpful to them, you need to insist, require and demand they do so. If you are inclined to use the word encourage when creating a list of employee expectations, then you are writing a rule, standard, guideline or an expectation, not a non-negotiable.

If you missed Part 1, click here to read it.

Thanks to the retailers who shared their lists of rules and non-negotiables — or deal-breakers, as some of you referenced. I’ll present the list in no certain order after the first three, which were on several of your lists, regardless of the type of store.

Note: Some ideas on this list, below, may better suit your retail operation as a rule, guideline or an expectation rather than a requirement of employment. Reviewing them as such can help you decide what is most important and assist you with prioritizing what are deal-breakers versus guidelines. Refer to the 5 questions I listed in Part 1 for more clarification.

35+ Ideas for Retail Employee Rules and Non-Negotiables:

1. Customers come first at all times. You must stop whatever you are doing when a customer enters the store.